


A Father-Son outing

by FullmetalDevil



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Family Bonding, Family Fluff, Father-Son Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-09-26 23:48:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20398159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FullmetalDevil/pseuds/FullmetalDevil
Summary: After Benny's confrontation with Sammy revealing the demons distaste for his father, Thomas apologized for his past transgressions and both father and demon agreed to put their pasts behind them. Now Benny was finding himself intimidated by the man he is now calling his father as he knows very little about him. The demon often shying away as he doesn't know what to do. A little article in the paper gains Thomas's attention and he wonders if his son would be willing to go with him. Now Benny finds himelf going on a little trip with his father as his mother Allison decided to stay behind in the hopes that the father son pair would find common ground.





	A Father-Son outing

**Author's Note:**

> This was a short that I had been wanting to write for a long time. This one takes place directly after 'Musical Babysitter' so if you haven't read that one first please read it before reading this one.

Several days had passed since Sammy had come over to demon sit Benny and they learned what exactly was driving a wedge between Thomas and the toon. Turned out the demon silently held a 30 year old grudge against his father that had been brought to light through Sammy's persistence. After a lengthy conversation the demon forgave thomas for his past actions and they both agreed to try and move forward equally. The mechanic decided to keep his interactions with the toon as normal as possible as to not encroach on the demon's space as well as to offer Benny to join him on various tasks. Benny was more often than not very wary about joining his father figure, but was at least trying. Tom was more than willing to wait to let Benny come to him at his own pace.

When Allison came home Tom told her about what has happened between them and Benny. She was apologetic towards her husband about the toons behavior putting part of the blame on herself for their lack of communication so long ago. He returned an equal apology about not telling her the truth about the nature of his job and for the unforeseeable chaos that followed. Both vowed to put their pasts behind them and to focus on doing the best they can, not only for themselves, but also for the plushtoon in their care.

Now the morning sun shone through the kitchen curtain providing just enough light for Thomas to read the morning paper. The older man scowled slightly sipping his coffee as he read various headlines of the news before heading to the local section of the paper. A small column above the comics quickly got his attention.

"The Museum of Science, History and Art recently celebrated its expansion and the birth of its new Los Angeles County Museum of Art to house the museum's art collection. The central museum which was once named the Los Angeles County Museum of Science and History is now officially named The Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History and is celebrating its naming and newest expansion by giving discounts to admission and various events have been set up at the locale. The director of the museum and staff are welcoming guests to 'discover the world's natural wonders'"

Tom's eyes lit up at the article, god he hadn't been to the museum since he himself was a little boy. He couldn't help but wonder how much had changed for the gem of LA. His heart raced at seeing all the new information and discoveries the facility will feature since he's been gone for over 30 years. A thoughtful expression graced his features as his eyes drifted from his paper to Benny whom was quietly reading a book Allison bought him. The toon was doing his best to read on his own as well as to learn more about the world beyond the studio. He had an unending curiosity about everything and especially about nature and animals. What better place to learn about the world then a museum that focuses on science, history and nature.

"Hey Benny," Tom waited for the toon to look at him completely. "Do you want to go on a little car ride with me?" He put on a small hopeful smile.

Benny Looked at him and then at Allison whom came into the kitchen dusting off her pant legs from working in the garden. "Can Allison come?" He softly asked Tom.

"Uhh." The man looked at her.

Allison paused her motions noticing all eyes were on her causing a raised brow. "What did I just walk into?" She crossed her arms.

Tom held up the newspaper and motioned for her to look at it. All the while she was reading the article Benny fidgeted in his seat. He had to admit he still wasn't comfortable around Thomas alone and wanted Allison to come along. He forgave the man for his actions, but he still didn't know how to 'break the ice' as Allison put it. He hardly knew anything about the man and couldn't relate to him despite people telling him they were similar. He himself saw no similarities, but only knew of his connection to Thomas from the man's blood mixed in his ink.

Confusion danced across the toons face when he saw Allison's face light up. Whatever she read seemed to make her happy and she and Thomas were whispering between each other eagerly. Before he could ask what was going on, Allison smiled warmly at him and left Thomas's side to head to the fridge.

"Benny could you help me a minute please?" Allison called from the fridge as she was pulling out a big jar of jelly closing the fridge before grabbing a jar of peanut butter from the cabinet.

"Sure!" The toon happily chirped to his mom setting his book down and hopping off his chair to go to her side.

Allison balanced the jars in one arm while grabbing 2 spreader knives with the other along with a few small bags and set the items on the counter before reaching into the bread box. "I need you to go get the picnic basket for me while I make some lunches." She pulled out several slices of bread and laid them out.

"Ok" Benny turned to go to the closet to get the basket, but before he left the kitchen he saw Tom getting up from the table mumbling about how he needed to 'get ready'. This earned a small raised brow from the toon, but he just went to the closest to retrieve the picnic basket. With basket in hand he returned to Allison holding it up to her "Here you go!"

"Thanks." She ruffled her fingers between his horns as she took the basket.

His mother lined the basket with a small cloth before laying in several sandwiches along with 4 drinks and a few cookies. While she packed the basket Benny happily watched her prepare the basket before his earlier question crossed his mind.

"Where are we going?" He tilted his head slightly watching all the food disappear into the basket. Allison even had to lightly wave his hand away from the cookies.

The question earned a small, but slightly nervous smile from Allison. "You and Tom are gonna go out for a bit."

Naturally she saw a small frown form on the toons face. She could tell that Benny wasn't angry at Tom any more, but was now wary of the man for his ill behavior and lack of understanding. The toon had grown shy around the man because he didn't know how to approach him. Benny had related to her several times that he really didn't know much about his father figure and had a hard time figuring the man out which made her laugh at the time since Benny could be just as difficult to read. She knew they just need some bonding time together to learn more about the other and she was sure they would be able to find some common ground. They just need a little time.

"But I want you to come" Benny quietly whined lightly tugging on her pant leg. He wanted her to come with. He didn't want to be alone with Tom too long, it just gets awkward.

"Unfortunately sweetie I'm a bit busy in the garden." Allison tried to explain to the toon.

"It can keep until we get back." The demon tried to argue, his tone growing softer the more he looked at his mother trying to sway her. He even gave her his best puppy eyes, but stopped when he realized by the look in her eyes she wasn't budging and the lack of a response earned a small squeaky whine.

Allison sighed and bent down to look at the toon in the eye placing her hands on his shoulders. "You'll be fine. Thomas doesn't bite no matter how much you think he does, and besides." she rested her hand on Benny's cheek lifting his head up slightly. "You two will have fun whether I'm there or not."

Benny gave her one last pleading look before he bowed his head in defeat. He couldn't argue with his mom no matter how much he wanted to. He didn't say anything more even when Allison asked him if he could stow the basket in his hammerspace so they could enjoy it later. He felt nervous and afraid. He never really went anywhere without her, sure he had been home without her a few times, but this was different. He was going somewhere by himself with his father figure who he now was finding himself intimidated by. 

A small whine escaped him when Thomas reemerged from his bedroom dressed and ready to go. The man seemed excited until he saw the clear look of fear and concern on Benny's face. The toon was even lightly clinging to Allison's pant leg while she was giving Tom a small sympathetic look.

Tom knew Benny was afraid, the look on his face said it all. He took a knee a good distance from the toon smiling lightly at him. "Want to get dressed so we can go?"

At the cue Allison lightly ushered Benny to his room to get dressed, the plushtoon walked slowly in defeat. While they were gone Tom skimmed his map to freshen his memory on how to reach the museum. He was looking forward to going since he hadn't gone in so long, but was also feeling sympathy for the toon. It was obvious that Benny clung to Allison's apron strings, but she can't always be there to hold his hand. She won't always be available to do things with him as he himself couldn't always be there for the demon either. They have to take turns with him and do things together when they are able. He hoped in time Benny will warm up to him and hoped a 'father son' outing would help.

A few moments later and Allison and Benny emerged from the toon's room with the demon wearing a simple pair of blue overalls, a white shirt and a blue cap to hide his horns. He lightly clung to Allison still looking at Tom fearfully.

"Alright boys," Allison chuckled "Go have fun." 

She lightly nudged Benny forward while the demon made a small squeaky whine and Tom carefully extended his hand waiting for Benny to come to him. The demon took a few hesitant steps before he extended his arm with his hand lightly grazing his father's. Once Tom was sure the toon wasn't gonna pull away, he enclosed Benny's hand in his own and scooped Benny up gently earning a shocked squeak from the toon. Tom cradled Benny in one arm before he leaned over giving Allison a small goodbye kiss. Benny looked over Toms shoulder back at Allison and made a small whimper as the man walked out of the house and to the car.

Benny could only watch the house as his father walked down the steps and to the car while his mother watched from the door. He gave one last pleading look only to see her smiling at him but not moving. A small sigh escaped him before he saw Tom open the front passenger door rather than the back passenger door. Much to his surprise, Tom set him down on the bench seat next to him and searched for the seat belt buckle.

"I'm not sitting in the back?" Benny questioned while Tom secured the seat belt buckling him in and made sure he was comfortable.

"Well it's just you and I. There's no reason for you to sit in the back when you have a better view from the front." Tom lightly commented earning a small 'oh' from Benny before he closed the door going around the vehicle to the drivers side sliding in.

Tom started the car slowly backing out of the driveway. Benny peered out the window to see Allison waving at them from the doorway which the toon made a small wave in return. He hoped he wouldn't regret going with Tom. A small defeated sigh escaped him as he leaned back into his seat resigned to his fate.

The world drifted by the window with roads, buildings and hills Benny had never seen before. His eyes were glued to the window watching the new surroundings drift by. After a few minutes that felt like hours a small sound drifted through the air. He turned his head to look at Tom to see the man fiddling with the dashboard of the car turning on the radio. He fiddled with the settings all the while Benny silently watched him until the man found a station that was playing some really soft slightly jazzy music. The toon was legitimately surprised to see Tom visibly relax to the music on the radio as he himself had to admit that he was enjoying the song playing.

The demon closed his eyes focusing on the song when he heard a small tapping sound. He cautiously opened his eyes to see Tom lightly tapping his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the song. Wait? Is he? The toon listened carefully and seperate from the music was soft humming. Tom was actually humming to music! Benny looked at Tom completely shocked. He had no idea that his dad actually liked music as the man rarely played any at home as he was either working or reading. The toon opted to try and listen to his father figure to gauge his tones and found that even though the man's voice was rough his humming was surprisingly smooth. He figured it must be from his time with Allison as she was an impressive singer. He noted that Tom took a particular interest to a song on the radio of a group calling themselves 'The Drifters' singing about someone saving a dance for him. Tom even lightly sang the lyrics 'save the last dance for me'. He couldn't help but wonder if he was referring to Allison.

The soft music drifted through the air almost lulling Benny to sleep until a small gostle to the car snapped him out of his light dozing. Tom got off the road and drove next to a strange looking building. He had never seen such an odd looking building as it had a round roof and strange sides, but he didn't have too much time to gawk before Thomas pulled into a parking lot paying a small fee to a gentleman running a booth.

"And we're here" Tom smiled as the vehicle came to a stop and he shut the engine off before looking at Benny.

The toon tilted his head looking around the small lot. "Where is here?" He had no clue where he was, and all he saw was an odd building and a bunch of cars.

"It's a surprise that I think you'll like." Tom chuckled before unbuckling his seatbelt and got out of the car. He walked over to Benny's side opening the door and lifted the toon out setting him down. "It's a place I haven't seen in well over 30 years." He lightly extended his hand.

Benny raised a brow, but said nothing more as he cautiously accepted Tom's extended hand and allowed the man to lead him out of the parking lot and through a walkway. His eyes drifted all over at the new scenery as he couldn't exactly tell where they were, let alone the purpose of coming. They trailed around a brick building before they rounded the corner to the entrance, his pie cut eyes were nearly the size of dinner plates.

Before him was a massive rose garden with hundreds of rose bushes all in full bloom. They were welcomed by a sweet fragrance a light breeze brought them that Benny was finding intoxicating. The smell was soothing and the colors that accompanied them were a stark contrast. Vibrant Reds, oranges, purples, pinks and whites came in more shades, combinations and patterns then Benny thought were possible. He even spotted roses that were green and one of them was almost a pale blue. He looked up at Tom to see the normally stern and almost angry looking man had a relaxed expression as he viewed the garden.

Tom glanced down to see Benny looking up at him. "We'll eat our lunches in the garden after we check this place out." The man gestured to the entrance of the building that made Benny's jaw go slack.

The main entrance faced the rose garden and was supported by massive round pillars with intricate tile work on the flooring accompanied by lavish patterns at the tops of the pillars and ceiling. The building was a work of art within itself and the little toon could only lean as far back as he could to take in it's sights all the while under the watchful eye of his father. The man in question could only chuckle at the demon's reaction to his surroundings as the museum was not only a place of learning but it was visually stunning and even he had to admire the amount of effort poured into the look of the facility as it was a hidden gem in an ever growing city.

Benny finally finished gawking at his surroundings to look up at Tom "What is this place?" He had never seen such a lavish garden and a building that it was a work of art.

Tom smiled, but didn't say anything as he lightly ushered the toon to the doors. Benny was hesitant about entering and a bit annoyed at the man's silence puffing his cheeks in frustration while watching Tom pay a gentleman to enter.

"This, is a place of learning." Toms smiled as he opened the doors for Benny allowing him to look inside.

Tom got the reaction he wanted to see at the toon's dinner plate sized eyes and slack jaw. The earlier irritation long gone. He watched as Benny edged into the room before quickly pacing to it's center staring up at the statue before him. Three women held up a golden globe with 3 placards beneath them reading 'science, art and history', above them was a vibrant stained glass dome supported by massive marble pillars that surrounded the room. The room seemed to glow from the yellow globe the goddesses held along with the colorful display of the dome. The toon almost sat down at the base of the statue simply staring up at the dome taking in its colors before he looked back towards Thomas with eyes full of wonder.

"Who are they?" He gestured to the statue softly inquiring.

Tom had to strain his ears to hear Benny's soft spoken voice and walked to the base of the statue gently lifting Benny into his arms and pointed at the placards. "These ladies are called 'the muses' representing art, science and history. This place is called the rotunda and is the heart of this museum."

Benny looked a the ladies and then back up at the ceiling whispering "I like it."

Those three words tugged a smile out of Tom and he lightly nudged the toon getting his attention "There's a lot more than just this room". 

Tom set Benny back down for which he found the toon taking his hand without him even offering. He felt Benny lightly tugging on his hand as every corner of the room warranted his attention and he happily obliged the demons inquisitive desires. Benny often stared at the many different items and he could clearly see the questions forming in the demon's mind by the obvious look on his face, but he was too shy to ask. Benny seemed to just simply read the placards of information posted next to the item or image. Though Tom couldn't help but wonder how many words the devildoll actually understood as he was still learning to read. He took a quick glance at the placard to see if he needed to offer any help and found that it had been worded in such a way that makes it easy for children to understand it.

When they left the rotunda exiting to the main hall they were greeted by 2 large skeletons that immediately drew the demon to them like a moth to the flame. Tom chuckled as Benny actually let go of his hand and cautiously circled around the display of the two fighting creatures. Once again he could see the unending curiosity on the devil's face, but no inquiry. Even other children that also circled the infamous skeletons of the museum were asking their parents a million questions but Benny was silent. He noted after a a few moments that the little demon seemed to be looking for an information board about the skeletons, but clearly wasn't having any luck. A small frown formed on his face as he studied the bones before him in confusion.

"Do you want to know who they are?" Tom spoke aloud immediately drawing Benny's attention away from the skeletons and to him nodding sheepishly.

The toon slowly came to his father's side while Tom took a knee and explained that the creatures before them are called Dinosaurs and that they ruled the earth for millions of years until they went extinct 65 million years ago. That the pair before him are some of the most famous being the Tyrannosaurus meaning 'terrible lizard' and the Triceratops. Throughout his explanation Benny was solely focused on him and the toon lightly nodded as he processed the information, but he could see a question forming on his face as the devil looked back and forth between the two dinosaurs.

"How come they are fighting?" Benny cautiously inquired. He didn't expect really expect an answer from Tom, but was surprised when the man smiled and gestured to the one with the horns.

"Triceratops is an herbivore meaning it ate the plants that grew during its time. The horns on its head are for protection as well as to represent it age as this guy is fully grown. Think of them like a horned cow as they are very common and traveled in groups. Tom then pointed at the T-Rex. "Tyrannosaur is a carnivore meaning it ate meat so this guy was on the T-rex's menu, but he won't go down without a fight as he will fight back with his horns. T-rex is one of the largest predatory dinosaurs and is well known for its teeth."

Benny listened in awe and contentment. He didn't think that Tom would be so willing to answer his question and after a few more were asked, he realized that no matter what he said Tom was listening to him and was doing his best to answer them. He was giving the demon the one thing Benny wanted: attention. A smile crept on Benny's face as he lightly clung to Thomas's hand allowing the man to lead him around the halls.

The duo's first stop was the North American and African halls. Tom soon found himself trying to answer every question the toon was sending at him and at one point he even had to ask him to slow down cause the toon was talking so fast. He forgot that children, or a toon in this case, could come up with so many questions at once. He did have some relief when a museum staffer was in the hall showing off pelts of various animals and was letting the children feel the furs. Benny practically talked the poor guy's ear off asking all sorts of questions. Tom was thankful the staffer was patient and answered all the questions thrown his way.

Insteading of hitting all the exhibits in a specific order, Tom decided to bounce around and hit the bird hall next. If he thought Benny had a million questions in the mammal halls the bird hall had the toon talking a mile a minute. Benny got excited at the wide range of birds on display and pointed out several he had seen in the backyard and around the house. He had no idea that birds came in so many colors and all the different feather types and displays. When he asked Tom why they are all so colorful the man initially said something about them 'looking to get laid', whatever that meant, for which the man stopped himself and said that they needed the colorful displays to impress their female partner. Benny looked back at the display and then asked if Tom wore colorful clothing when he was with Allison to impress her which rewarded him getting ushered out the room with several women snickering at the toons rather loud and blunt question. 

Despite Benny enjoying the bird display as a whole Tom found that the toon got spooked at the imitation rainforest as the sounds of all the animals were too loud for him and the shrieking or squawking at random intervals scared him. Benny tightly clung to his leg whimpering and Tom had to quickly get him out of that portion of the exhibit. The toon didn't get to relax much as they approached the wetlands portion of the hall which featured a small bridge over shallow water. He wanted no parts of that portion of the exhibit even though the display was made up to look like a pleasant sunset complete with the sounds of water flowing through the speakers. Tom could easily understand Benny's concern and opted to carry him to make him feel better. After the few bumps in the bird hall, Benny relaxed when Tom set him back down once they were done viewing the hall and made their way to the next one.

Benny saw many posters advertising something called 'the Dino Hall' however when he asked about it Tom merely told him that they will see it, but he wanted to check out the others first. Something about saving the best for last. Benny lightly pouted at the comment, but that quickly disappeared when they entered the gem and Mineral hall.

The toon was wide eyed at all the types of minerals and gems on display, he had no idea that the earth itself came in so many colors, shapes and patterns. Tom soon found it easier to simply carry the plushtoon who willingly asked to be carried since some of the display cases were a little too tall for him. Benny's eyes sparkled as much as the gems in front of him all the while Tom's smile grew more and more when he realized that Benny was willingly coming to him and wasn't shying away. Every question and every comment was met with Tom's undivided attention as he did everything within his power to answer them. While for some subjects he was out of date, he felt a sense of satisfaction of learning something new alongside Benny with both of them sharing smiles that rivaled the gems before them.

To Thomas the marine hall was a new addition that he knew he couldn't pass up. It wasn't a secret that neither Benny or Bendy could go near water and naturally Benny was very hesitant about entering the hall for fear of there actually being water. His fears melted away when he stood before a massive diorama of a coral reef and all the creatures that can be found within. The toon drifted down the display following the case from the surface of the ocean down to the darkest depths where he was mesmerized by the light show. Even Tom found himself staring at the odd and almost alien like creatures of the deep as he didn't know that modern technology had allowed for such dives, let alone for life to live that far down. 

Benny was especially taken with the jellyfish and a museum staffer even had a small aquarium tank set up with actual live Jellyfish. The devildoll was practically glued to the base of the tank watching the creatures drifting throughout their enclosure. The staffer explained that while they look pretty some can actually be very deadly, that even beauty can hide a beast. Tom couldn't agree more as in the back of his mind he knew that despite the toons sweet and cute looking appearance if needed they will shed their innocent nature turning themselves into living horrors. Every rose has its thorns. 

The pair spent a little while longer in the marine hall with Benny admiring the creatures he knew he'll never see. He couldn't go near water for long and the sea life was bewitching to him, but it was a dream that will never become a reality. He could only be content with watching videos of sea life, looking a giant display that Tom called a diorama and looking at them in a tank as they swam around. A small frown formed on his face, he wished he could swim and see these creatures for himself. Swimming looked like fun. His melancholy thoughts were interrupted when he felt a hand rubbing his back gently and he looked up to see Tom looking at him with worry.

"Benny, You ok?" Tom saw the small frown form on the demon's face as he stared at the jellyfish. 

"I kinda envy them." He softly spoke before looking back at the tank before wandering to the diorama gazing at the scene with Tom following him. "It's so colorful and looks like fun. I wish I could see them in person, but I can't swim." he softly lamented his hand gently resting on the glass.

A small frown formed on Tom's face as guilt began to set in. Perhaps he shouldn't have brought Benny to a place that reminds him of his critical weakness. The toon had a fondness for animals, especially sea life, but it was only a dream he'll never see in reality. 

"I'm sorry" Tom whispered while gently rubbing Benny's back.

Benny turned to look at Tom before a shadow of a smile formed on his face as he gently grabbed Tom's hand getting the older man to look at him. "It's not your fault. I can't change who I am and I've come to accept it. All I can do is watch from afar. Seeing them in a book, on a screen or behind glass is enough for me."

Tom smiled warmly at the toon and gently picked him up hugging him. The mechanic felt bad that Benny couldn't go to some of the places he was entranced by, but was understanding of his situation and had come to accept it. That it was his nature from being born of fabric and ink that couldn't allow him to go near water and he didn't blame Tom for it. He didn't say anything more as they quietly left the marine hall with Benny taking one last look over Tom's shoulder at the Jellyfish. He would have to be content with looking from afar.

The last stop on their journey was the one place Benny had seen many posters for; the dinosaur hall. He couldn't help but notice that Tom himself seemed to be excited about the hall as Benny knew he could hardly contain his own excitement. Without realizing it, he grabbed Tom's hand and eagerly dragged the aged mechanic into the hall with Tom chuckling all the way mentally begging for Benny to slow down.

Beasts of all sizes and shapes covered the hall from the Triceratops skeleton at the entrance to the towering sauropods to the fierce Tyrannosaur. Benny's eyes were sparkling as he drifted from creature to creature. He saw bones that were taller than his dad and he couldn't believe any animal could get that large. While Benny was taken in with the Allosaur Tom smirked at a display and waved for Benny to join him under one of the sauropods. He scooped Benny up to look at the fossil before him that earned a look of confusion from the toon while a mischievous grin graced the man's features. He explained that it was coprolite and this particular specimen was a hands on display as a 'please touch me' sign was hung on its base. Benny carefully touched the item examining it all the while Tom wore an exceptionally pleased look. The demon turned wore a confused expression before asking his father what exactly it was, he couldn't make heads or tails of what it was supposed to be. The toon turned nearly as white as his counterpart when Tom explained that what he touched was fossilized dung also known as animal droppings. He soon found himself chasing after Benny as the devildoll tried to run to the restroom to wash his hands, but never made it past the door as Tom caught him laughing explaining that it's a fossil and he had nothing to worry about. Benny glared at him before a smirk graced his face and made a mental note to get him back for the little prank.

The pair spent a long time in the dino hall listening to the various staff explain the latest discoveries as well as all describing known information regarding the dinosaurs on display. Tom noted Benny's confused expression when he looked at the fossil tracks vs. the dinosaurs that made them. He repeatedly looked back and forth before looking at Tom.

"If they are depicted as dragging their tails then why don't their tracks show that?" He pointed at the skeletons and then at the tracks. "I don't think they dragged their tail if it isn't in the tracks."

Tom laughed at the comment as Benny seemed actually annoyed at the depiction. "I agree with you there. I personally think their tails and and body were more in line and upright rather than sloped. I bet they were active creatures unlike the drawings of them being slow lumbering beasts. I mean take a look at this guy" Tom gestured to an Allosaurus. "Look at his legs and frame. I think this guy was a bit of a runner if he had to tackle a Stegosaur and he certainly would have to be nimble to dodge the infamous Thagomizer."

Benny tilted his head "Thag..omizer?" He thought it was an odd name for a creature like the Stegosaur.

"It's a joke referring to a comic strip I saw the other day. A cave man dubbed the creatures tail in the memory of the 'late Thag Simmons'." Tom laughed. "I thought it was a clever way of describing the tail and it kinda stuck. I'm not an animal expert, but I'm certain that the Stegosaurus's tail was more nimble then we like to think, especially since it's a very obvious defense weapon."

Benny nodded in agreement. There was no way these creatures could be excessively slow especially with weaponry built into their bodies. He should know. He himself can move very fast along with his counterpart as they both had their own defense mechanisms. He could only hope new discoveries would reveal more about them.

The end of the dino hall lead to the hall of prehistoric life where it was covered in fossils of everything from fossils leaves too early man. Benny asked why Tom wasn't with the rest of the early hominids because he's so gruff and has facial hair that he would easily fit in earning a scowl from his dad that morphed into a smirk. Benny got payback for the coprolite. The toon was fascinated by the ammonite fossils along with the various dolphin and whale bones. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw some of the early horses as they were the size of a medium dog in comparison to their modern descendents. The devil noticed that there was a huge boon of mammals and wondered why there were suddenly so many. Tom explained to him that after the extinction of the dinosaurs it opened a window for mammals to take over. That during the dinosaurs rule mammals were relatively small and once they were gone they rapidly replaced them taking over the land, sea and some even took to the skies sharing it with birds. Tom pointed out a timeline showing the demon each mass extinction as well as how the earth changed through tectonic movements and temperature changes. The toon couldn't believe how many times life on earth died down for various reasons only for it to pick up again with a new range of creatures through each cycle. Each time period held unique creatures and only offered a snippet of information encouraging him to ask his father for more and more information for as much as he was able to provide.

Benny hung on Tom's every word about the planet and its history it had to offer. He wanted to know more! He spotted a museum staffer and waited until they were done talking to a group of kids before he asked about any additional places that house fossils. They happily told him of a place called La Brea that just opened since apparently the LA museum had to move a portion of it's collection there since the new museum is not only a facility to educate it's guests about it's discoveries but it is also an active site where they unearth new things everyday. That the fossils are discovered on the museum grounds and are prepped on site with it's new glassed in lab allowing visitors to see the work that goes into preparing the fossils. Also with the addition of the new pit 91 with its viewing gallery allowing people to watch the excavation before the bones go to the lab. Benny immediately looked at Tom with a pleading look making him chuckle with commenting that they will visit that museum another day. The demon nodded and politely asked if he could ride on Tom's shoulders since his feet were getting tired. He didn't want to admit he saw several other children doing so earlier and it looked like fun. He was shocked when Tom willingly scooped him up and let him ride on his shoulders earning a small happy squeak from him. his dad just laughed at the easily pleased demon and continued down the hall.

The pair neared one of the entrances of the museum and Tom swung around the corner earning a look of confusion from Benny as the man went to a small room with a sign above it reading 'gift shop'. As soon as he entered Benny gawked at all the various trinkets, shirts and toys for sale. He felt a pair of hands wrap around him and lift him off his father's shoulders setting him down. He looked up at his dad confused.

"Go pick something out that you like." Tom smiled while gently leading Benny further into the shop.

Benny had to admit he had no clue what he wanted, he didn't expect to get anything at all. He pondered over the vast choices as he slowly drifted around the displays of various items. There were so many things that piqued his interest as he lightly examined some of the plushes before looking at their price and set them down leaving to look for something else. He felt that some were too expensive as he didn't know what Tom was willing to spend. He felt he was already an inconvenience earlier by not wanting to come in the first place which he regretted by the time they got there, and he didn't want to be a further pest by requesting anything expensive. If anything, he wanted to pay for his own stuff so he wouldn't be a bother.

Unbeknownst to the wandering demon, Tom shadowed Benny looking at the items that the toon had examined before putting back. It figures that Benny took a shine to the plushies of various dinosaurs and prehistoric sea life, but he took one look at the price tag and turned away. Tom took a glance at the tags for himself and realized that they were quite reasonably priced for their size. He grabbed a fabric gift bag that he felt Allison would like and started stuffing it with each plush he saw Benny take interest in. Since he didn't have to buy lunch thanks to her he had more than enough money to indulge the toon's simple pleasures. He had the clerk at the counter hang onto the bag for him before he resumed shadowing Benny curious as to what the demon would settle on.

He found Benny wandering back to the stuffed animal section and stopping before he lifted his shirt enough to reach into his hammerspace and pulled out his little coin bag. He lifted a brow as he watched Benny finger through the pouch contents before looking up at an item he was really focused on. Tom craned his neck to look over the display he was hiding behind to better look at what Benny was looking at.

The demon stood before a giant plush blanket of one of the more colorful species of jellyfish. The plush blanket easily dwarfed him and was exceptionally soft to the touch. He carefully lifted it off it's stand and it practically draped over him with it's tentacles all over the floor and the cap itself was the blanket. Benny double checked his coin pouch before cautiously looking around trying to locate Tom cueing the man to make himself more visible as he was curious to see how Benny would handle asking him for the large toy and blanket.

Benny looked around the shop until he saw Tom in the corner by the t-shirts fingering through the clothes. He glanced up at the blanket plush draped over him and became nervous about asking. He hoped Tom wouldn't say 'no', he had money to help pay and everything, he was just $2 shy. Hopefully Tom wouldn't mind spending the $2 versus some of the prices of the items he saw earlier. He gathered what little fleeting courage he had and slowly made his way over to his dad while nervously shuffling in place.

"Umm… T-Tom?" The demon softly spoke while gently pulling on his dad's pant leg.

Tom looked down to see Benny nervously swaying back and forth while holding his coin pouch with the large jellyfish blanket draped over him to where only face was visible while the tentacles were wrapped around him.

"Umm… C-Can I get this please?" He lightly tugged on the blanket. "I have money to help pay." He held up his change purse to show Tom his little earnings from various chores. "I'm just short 2 dollars."

Tom looked at the little bag and did his best to maintain a blank face and to not laugh. Benny was actually trying to buy his own toys even though he had offered to pay, and lord knows the shop was full of temptation for children. It warmed his heart that the devildoll was trying to be as considerate as possible of their finances and went for something practical rather than a simple toy. He held out his hand for which Benny gently handed over the blanket while watching him with a hopeful expression. 

A smile finally formed on Thomas's face as he accepted the blanket rolling it up and tucking it under his arm. "I'll get it." 

As soon as those words left his mouth he found a demonic barnacle on his leg with Benny happily squeaking his thanks over and over. Tom decided to keep the coin pouch to let Benny think he's helping to pay before giving it back later.

Thomas had Benny go look at the books while he made his purchase as he didn't want the toon seeing what he bought just yet. The clerk wrapped everything up in bags so Benny couldn't see what was inside. When Thomas joined the toon Benny assumed Tom had bought some shirts for himself as that's where he last saw him and the man motioned for them to head to the car. Benny whined softly thinking that Tom forgot about eating lunch at the garden, but was told that he didn't want to carry the bags around and simply wanted to drop them off.

While tom put the bags in the trunk to make sure Benny couldn't mess with them, the demon in question was in the car. Benny had to undo part of his overalls so he could have complete access to his hammerspace and pulled out the picnic basket. The last thing he wanted was for someone to see him opening up his stomach. Tom closed up the trunk while Benny closed up his overalls and handed over the basket to his dad as soon as he exited the vehicle. The older man accepted the basket and locked the vehicle before he scooped up the little devil and headed to the garden.

The pair found a quiet secluded spot in the garden surrounded by yellow and orange roses which the toon took a shine to as they were the most fragrant. Tom set Benny down on a bench while he himself sat down and set the basket in between them. Benny opened the basket for him and handed him a sandwich before the demon grabbed one of his own. The breeze swirled the sweet scent of the roses around them while the pair quietly ate their food. Benny felt completely calm and relaxed as he watched the flowers sway in the breeze along with the butterflies seemingly chasing them. He chanced a glance at his father to see a small content smile on the man's face as he too was enjoying the serenity of the scene around him.

Benny swallowed the last of his sandwich before lightly tugging of Tom's sleeve gaining the man's attention. "T-Thank you for bringing me, you didn't have to." He gave a small pleased smile.

Tom finished off his sandwich returning with his own warm smile. "You're welcome. I had hoped you'd like this place, it was just one of the places I wanted to show you. There are so many places that I'd think you'd enjoy if you're willing to tag along. I won't force you" he opened up his drink and slowly drank it.

Benny contemplated his father's words. Tom wanted to spend time with him, but only if he would allow it. He had to admit he had fun today, grant you it started out rocky, but in the end he had fun. Perhaps it isn't so bad to accompany Thomas, especially if he knew of such wondrous places. A thoughtful expression graced his face as he tapped Tom on his arm with the older man looking at him.

Benny gave him a warm smile that easily rivaled his counterpart. "I'd like to go, if you'll take me."

It was Tom's turn to have his eyes go wide as dinner plates before his expression morphed to pure joy and he scooped up the toon hugging him tightly whispering "I most certainly will." 

They hugged each other for awhile before Benny made a small yawn causing Thomas to let him go to look at his watch. It was time to head home. He noted that Benny's eyes were starting to droop as the little devil was trying to stifle another yawn and was starting to look pretty tired. Looks like he had enough fun for one day.

Thomas gathered up the wrappers from their lunch and set them into the basket along with the empty drinks making a mental note to toss them later while Benny patiently waited. Once the older man was done, Benny nudged him and held up his hands silently asking to be carried since he was starting to tire. His answer was an arm wrapped around him and being cradled in his father's arm while Tom carried the basket in the other. Benny whispered a small 'thank you' as they headed back to the car to head home.

Soon the toon was set next to him and buckled in while little 'Z's floated over his head earning a chuckle from his dad. He wore the little one out and he could remember a time when he too would pass out on the car ride home. Thomas slipped into the driver's seat and slowly pulled out the lot heading for home. He counted his blessings that traffic was relatively light has he drove down the young freeways and older roads. He watched the world wiz by and still couldn't believe how much had changed. He remembered the last time he rode down some of the roads was when he himself was in Benny's seat while his own father drove. He now had a little more understanding as to why his father enjoyed his time with him when he was much younger. Watching Benny's eyes light up at all the new discoveries and his eagerness to learn was like watching himself when he was young. It seemed that Benny was now a little more comfortable with him and he was already looking forward to their next trip. He himself couldn't wait for their next trip either.

The car came to a stop in the driveway with the engine settling down for the day and it's driver collecting his small passenger and belongings. Thomas lightly rapped on the door and waited for Allison to let him in since his hands were too full from carrying Benny and his purchases. He quickly headed towards the demons bedroom leaving Allison behind to lock the door before accompanying him. He motioned for his wife to be as quiet as possible and he put Benny to bed while she opened up the bags he brought. Her eyes lit up at all the plushes and smiled warmly at her husband before helping him place the plushes around the toon while he slept. The final touch was when Tom unfurled the jellyfish blanket plush and lightly covered the demon tucking him in before motioning for them to leave. With a careful stride the couple left the room quietly closing it and headed for the living room.

Allison stood in the doorway of the room watching her husband lay out on the couch completely exhausted kicking off his shoes letting out a happy sigh. A warm smile graced her face as she sat on a chair next to the coffee table. "So, how'd it go? It must have went well considering all the toys you bought."

Her inquiry pulled a small chuckle from her husband. "It was a bit rocky at first, but he seemed to open up more and more. He has an amazing thirst for knowledge as I couldn't keep track of how many questions he asked. By the end of it all he thanked me for bringing him and asked if we can go again." He tiredly yawned.

"I'm glad" Allison's voice made Tom look at her slightly. "He's been so shy around you and it seems that he might finally be warming up to you. I always worried that he may hate you and never like you."

Tom looked at her with agreement. He had to admit that he himself worried if he would ever be able to make it up to the plushtoon for his neglect and now it seems that they finally have a shared space that they both enjoy. They seemed to have found common ground. "Well he's already looking forward to the next trip, but for now he's gonna have fun with the toys."

"Speaking of which, why so many? Did he ask for all that?" Allison lifted a brow in confusion. It was unlike Benny to be spend happy and the amount of toys her husband brought home looked like he plundered a toy shop.

"Nope" The older man's comment lifted Allison's brow even more. "When I took Benny to the gift shop and offered to let him pick out something, he examined all the price tags of various items but didn't request them despite taking a clear interest in them. He asked for the blanket after pulling out his own little savings asking me to pay the additional two dollars that he was short on. He didn't want me spending too much of my money and found himself something he can use versus a toy. I bought him the toys cause I wanted to and he never asks for much. It's my way of saying thank you for coming with me." Tom closed his eyes settling in for a nap.

Allison chuckled getting up from the chair "Expect a barnacle when he wakes up." Her comment getting a small 'I know' from her husband before he was out like a light. She quietly wandered into the kitchen and began to work on dinner while the rest of the house was sleeping.

\---------

A small figure slowly began to stir in his room feeling completely comfortable in his bed except for the occasional growls of his stomach as a reminder he needed to get up cause hunger had set in. Benny cracked open his pie cute eyes and was met with a stuffed shark in his face jolting him awake. He looked around his bed seeing it completely covered in stuffed animals he recognized as the ones he saw at the museum and then looked as his blanket realizing it was the giant jellyfish blanket. He couldn't believe it. Tom bought all this just for him. He grasped onto his blanket and slipped out of bed without dropping any of the stuffed animals over and quietly drifted down the hall seeking his father.

The small shuffling of shoes was the only sound Allison heard as he looked over her shoulder to see Benny drifting down the hall to the living room. With a raised brow she quietly followed the toon to see what he was up to. To her surprise the toon had walked up to her sleeping husband and crawled up onto his chest with his blanket and curled up again. He had willingly sought out Thomas and was resting alongside him.

Benny's crawling up on the man's chest started to stir him out of his slumber and he opened his eyes to be met with pie cut eyes. A small smile graced Tom's features as he looked at the toon who whispered a small 'thank you'. The demon's reward was a hug as his father scooped him off his chest allowing the man to carry him to the kitchen seeking dinner. 

Watching the pair finally bonding brought a smile to Allison's face and it made her glad that she made a small cake for them to enjoy. She knew Tom and Benny may fight over the slices, but she was more than willing to put up with a little competition over cake for the sake of watching her husband and son finally get along.

**Author's Note:**

> It a a bit touchy but Thomas found the right buttons to push to let his little toon open up to him. This is actually based off a real memory of the time my mother tried to convince my sister and I to go with our own father as we shyed away from him.


End file.
